Three Chinese Porcelain Crane Figures -- 30 in, 77 cm
Our set of three Chinese porcelain cranes with metal legs measure up to 30.5 in (77.4 cm) tall and date from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century.
There are scratches, glaze imperfections, scuffs, and restorations to the areas around the holes on two cranes, plus restorations to the leaded metal legs and feet, plus losses to a few toes. Each has been mounted to wooden pedestals measuring approximately 14 inches square and 3/4 inches tall. The taller cranes would benefit from straighening of the steel posts on which the porcelain bodies rest. Additional images forwarded upon request.
The crane has been an auspicious symbol of longevity, harmony and flial respect from the earliest times in China, closely associated with the Imperial family. In the Qing period large pairs of metalwork cranes frequently fanked the Imperial throne in the many important halls of the Forbidden City. Though many porcelain cranes of moderate size were made for the high end China Trade, far fewer massive examples were made in porcelain, a much more dificult achievement technically. This set may have been commissioned for a special garden, either in China or in the West.
